Fan module with toolless fastener

ABSTRACT

An exemplary fan mount for mounting a fan which has a connecting hole includes a frame and a fastener. The frame comprising a sidewall defining a chamber for receiving the fan and a connecting wall extending inwards from the sidewall towards the chamber. A hollow elastic pole extends out from the connecting wall into the chamber, for inserting in the connecting hole of the fan. A through hole extends through the elastic hole and a corresponding part of the connecting wall. The fastener includes a shaft for engaging in the through hole. When the fastener is inserted in the through hole, the fixing pole deforms to make an outer end thereof away from the connecting wall enlarge, thereby fixing the fastener on the frame.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure relates to device cooling, and particularly to a fanmodule with enhanced assembling convenience.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the continuing development of electronics technology, electronicpackages such as CPUs (central processing units) are generating more andmore heat that requires immediate dissipation. Heat dissipation fans arecommonly used for cooling the CPUs.

A conventional fan includes a housing, and a rotor and a stator receivedin the housing. In general, before the fan is mounted to a system, thefan is firstly mounted to a fan cover via a plurality of screws.Detailedly, the housing defines a plurality of through holes in one sidethereof. When the fan and the fan cover are assembled, fasteners extendthrough the through holes of the housing and threadedly engage in thefan cover, thereby attaching the fan to the fan cover. However, assemblyand detachment of the fan require a tool, such as a screwdriver,rendering the processes cumbersome and time-consuming.

What is desired, therefore, is a fan module which can overcome theabove-described shortcomings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic, isometric, assembled view of a fan module inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the fan module of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but showing the exploded fan moduleinverted.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a circled portion IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a circled portion V of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a fastener of the fan module of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe thepresent fan module in detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, a fan module in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment includes a fan 20, a fan mount 10 to which the fan 20 ismounted, and a plurality of fasteners 30 for securing the fan 20 in thefan mount 10. In this exemplary embodiment, the fan mount 10 is a fancover for attaching the fan 20 to a casing of an electronic device.

Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, the fan 20 includes a housing 22, astator (not shown) received in the housing 22, and an impeller receivedin the housing 22 and rotatably supported by the stator. The impellerincludes a plurality of fan blades 24. The housing 22 is hollow andgenerally rectangular, and includes a top plate 221, a bottom plate 222parallel to and spaced from the top plate 221, and an annular side plate223 connected between the top plate 221 and the bottom plate 222. Thetop plate 221 defines an air inlet 225 in a central portion thereof. Thebottom plate 222 defines an air outlet 226 in a central portion thereof,the air outlet 226 aligned with the air inlet 225. A plurality ofconnecting holes 224 is defined in corners of the top and the bottomplates 221, 222, respectively. In this exemplary embodiment, fourconnecting holes 224 are respectively defined in four corners of the topplate 221, and four connecting holes 224 are respectively defined infour corners of the bottom plate 222.

The fan mount 10 includes a board 11, and a fixing frame 13 connected tothe board 11. In this embodiment, the fixing frame 13 includes foursidewalls 12 extending upwardly from the board 11, and four connectingwalls 134 extending inwardly from joints of the four sidewalls 12. Arectangular receiving chamber 138 is cooperatively defined by the foursidewalls 12 for receiving the fan 20 therein. The four sidewalls 12include two first sidewalls 121 located at two neighboring peripheralsides of the receiving chamber 138, and two second sidewalls 122 higherthan the first sidewalls 121 and located at the other two neighboringperipheral sides of the receiving chamber 138. The connecting walls 134are located at four corners of the receiving chamber 138, respectively.The connecting walls 134 are level with each other, and extend inwardlyfrom top ends of the first sidewalls 121 and inner surfaces of thesecond sidewalls 122. The connecting walls 134 cooperatively form ashape similar to that of the top plate 221 of the housing 22. Thus, theconnecting walls 134 cooperatively define an approximately circular hole130 therebetween, the circular hole 130 corresponding to the air inlet225 of the housing 22.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 together, each of the connecting walls 134defines a circular recess 18 at a central portion of a bottom surfacethereof, corresponding to one of the connecting holes 224 of the topplate 211 of the housing 22. A portion of the connecting wall 134 overthe circular recess 18 forms a fixing plate 136. The fixing plate 136has a thickness less than that of other portions of the connecting wall134. The fixing plate 136 defines a fixing hole 15 in a center thereof,and two locating slots 16 located at two opposite sides of the fixinghole 15, respectively. The fixing hole 16 and the locating slots 16extend through the fixing plate 136, and communicate with the recess 19.

Each of the locating slots 16 includes a first locating hole 161, asecond locating hole 162, and a guiding groove 163 between andintercommunicating the first locating hole 161 and the second locatinghole 162. The first locating hole 161 has a diameter larger than that ofthe second locating hole 162. The guiding groove 163 has a widthgradually decreasing from the first locating hole 161 to the secondlocating hole 162. The locating slots 16 are located on a same imaginarycircle which is concentric with the fixing hole 15. In alternativeembodiments, the number of locating slots 16 can vary according toparticular requirements.

An elastic pole 17 extends perpendicularly downwardly from the fixingplate 136 at a periphery of the fixing hole 15 into an interior of thereceiving chamber 138. An outer diameter of the elastic pole 17 issubstantially equal to a diameter of the connecting hole 224 of the topplate 221. The elastic pole 17 of each connecting wall 134 includes anannular connecting end 171 connected to the fixing plate 136, and aplurality of elastic arms 172 extending downwardly from the connectingend 171. The elastic arms 172 are equally spaced from each other along acircumference direction of the connecting end 171. The elastic pole 17defines an axial hole 173 in a central portion thereof, the axial hole173 communicated with the fixing hole 15 of the fixing plate 136. Eachof the elastic arms 172 has an enlarged bottom end 170 that is far awayfrom the connecting end 171. Compared to a main portion of the elasticarm 172, the enlargement of the bottom end 170 is radially inwardlytoward a central axis of the axial hole 173. Thereby, the axial hole 173has a diameter at the bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 17 less thanother portions. The diameter of the axial hole 173 at the connecting end171 is substantially equal to that of the fixing hole 15, while thediameter of the axial hole 173 at the bottom end 170 is less than thatof the fixing hole 15.

Referring also to FIG. 6, each of the fasteners 30 includes acylindrical base body 31, an elongated, flattened handle 32 extendingfrom a top side of the base body 31, a shaft 33 extending from a bottomside of the base body 31, and two limiting posts 34 formed on the bottomside and at two opposite sides of the shaft 33, respectively. The shaft33 is located at a center of the bottom side of the base body 31. Adiameter of the shaft 33 is slightly less than the diameter of acorresponding fixing hole 15, but larger than the diameter of the axialhole 173 at the bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 172 of thecorresponding elastic pole 17.

When the fastener 30 is oriented vertically with the shaft 33 coaxialwith the fixing hole 15, the shaft 33 can pass through the fixing hole15 easily to extend into the axial hole 173. When the shaft 33 reachesthe bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 172 and is further pusheddownward, the bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 172 are extrudedoutwardly by an outer surface of the shaft 33 and elastically deform.Thereby, the elastic arms 172 can tightly abut against the outer surfaceof the shaft 33 when the shaft 33 is wholly received in the axial hole173 due to elastic urging of the elastic arms 172. Thus, the shaft 33 ofthe fastener 30 is engagingly received in the axial hole 173 of theelastic pole 17.

The limiting posts 34 are arranged symmetrically on opposite sides ofthe shaft 33. A distance between each of the limiting posts 34 and theshaft 33 is substantially equal to a radius of the imaginary circle onwhich the locating slots 16 are located. Each of the limiting posts 34forms a head 341 at a distal end that is far away from the bottom sideof the base body 31. The head 341 is generally ellipsoidal, and has asize smaller than the first locating hole 161, but larger than thesecond locating hole 162. When the fastener 30 is oriented verticallywith the limiting posts 34 coaxial with the first locating holes 161 ofthe locating slots 16, the heads 341 of the limiting posts 34 can passthrough the first locating holes 161 easily. However, the heads 341 ofthe limiting posts 34 cannot pass through the second locating holes 162.

A thickness of the head 341 of each limiting post 34 is less than adepth of the corresponding circular recess 18, such that the head 341can be received in the circular recess 18. Alternatively, the number oflimiting posts 34 can vary according to the number of locating slots 16.Furthermore, the limiting posts 34 can be of any other suitable sizeand/or shape, as long as the limiting posts 34 can pass through thefirst locating holes 161 and cannot pass through the second locatingholes 162.

When assembling the fan 20 to the fan mount 10, the fan 20 is firstlyput into the receiving chamber 138 of the fan mount 10, with the elasticpoles 17 of the connecting walls 134 extended downwardly through theconnecting holes 224 of the top plate 221 of housing 22, respectively.Then the shafts 33 and the limiting posts 34 of the fasteners 30 areinserted into the axial holes 173 and the locating slots 16,respectively, of the connecting walls 134 for connecting the fan mount10 and the fan 20 together. To insert each fastener 30 into thecorresponding connecting wall 134, the following steps are performed.

Firstly, each fastener 30 is located above the corresponding connectingwall 134, with the shaft 33 aligned with the fixing hole 15 of theconnecting wall 134 and the heads 341 of the limiting posts 34 alignedwith the first locating holes 161 of the locating slots 16,respectively. Due to the diameter of the shaft 33 being smaller than thediameter of the fixing hole 15 and the diameter of the heads 341 beingsmaller than the diameters of the first locating holes 161, the shaft 33of the fastener 30 can pass through the fixing hole 15 easily to extendinto the axial hole 173 of the elastic pole 17, and the limiting posts34 can pass through the first locating holes 161 easily to protrude intothe circular recess 18. The fastener 30 is further pushed downward untilthe shaft 33 is wholly received in the axial hole 173 of the elasticpole 17. In this state, the fastener 30 is maintained in position viathe bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 172 tightly abutting against theouter surface of the shaft 33. At the same time, the bottom ends 170 ofthe elastic arms 172 are splayed away from each other, thereby enlargingthe outer diameter of the elastic pole 17 at the bottom ends 170. Insuch a state, the outer diameter of the elastic pole 17 at the bottomends 170 exceeds the diameter corresponding of the connecting hole 224of the top plate 221 of the fan 20, and thus the splayed elastic arms172 of the four fasteners 30 hold the top plate 221 of the fan 20 inposition, such that the fan 20 is prevented from sliding down. In thisway, the fan 20 and the fan mount 10 are stably held together.

Then the fasteners 30 are rotated by operating the handles 32, to forcethe limiting posts 34 to move from the first locating holes 161 alongthe guiding grooves 163 to the second locating holes 162. Due to thediameter of the heads 341 being larger than the diameter of the secondlocating holes 162, when the limiting posts 34 are moved into the secondlocated holes 162, the heads 341 of the limiting posts 34 prevent thelimiting posts 34 from disengaging from the locating slots 16. Inparticular, the heads 341 of the limiting posts 34 abut against a bottomof the fixing plate 136 around the second locating holes 162,respectively. The fastener 30 is thereby securely held in position, anddoes not easily work loose, even during transportation. Accordingly, thefan 20 and the fan mount 10 are fixedly connected together.

When the fan 20 needs to be detached from the fan mount 10, thefasteners 30 are firstly rotated reversely to force the limiting posts34 to moved from the second locating holes 162 along the guiding grooves162 to the first locating holes 161. Then the fasteners 30 can be pulledout of the axial holes 173 of the elastic poles 17 and the locatingslots 16 directly. Without the fasteners 30, the elastic poles 17 resumeto natural state, and thus can be easily drawn out from the connectinghole 224 of the top plate 221 of the fan 20.

Thus, assembly and detachment of the fan 20 is easily achieved without atool.

In alternative embodiments, the fan mount 10 can instead be any otherkind of piece or equipment on which the fan 20 is to be mounted. Suchother kind of piece or equipment can, for example, be a casing of anelectronic device, a fixing frame for interconnecting the fan 20 and anelectronic device, and so on. The other kind of piece or equipmentincludes the connecting walls 134 each defining the fixing hole 15 andthe locating slots 16 therein, and comprising the elastic pole 17thereof.

It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristicsand advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description ofembodiments, together with details of the structures and functions ofthe embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changesmay be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, andarrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the fullextent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which theappended claims are expressed.

1. A fan module, comprising: a fan defining a connecting hole therein; afan mount to which the fan is mounted, the fan mount defining a fixinghole coaxial with the connecting hole, an elastic pole extendingoutwardly from the fan mount at a periphery of the fixing hole of thefan mount, the elastic pole comprising a plurality of elastic arms, theelastic arms cooperatively defining an axial hole coaxial with thefixing hole, each of the elastic arms comprising a free end away fromthe fan mount, an outer diameter of the elastic pole at the free ends ofthe elastic arms being substantially equal to a diameter of theconnecting hole of the fan when the elastic arms are unloaded; and afastener comprising a base body and a shaft extending outwardly from thebase body, the shaft having a diameter larger than an inner diameter ofthe elastic pole at the free ends of the elastic arms when the elasticarms are unloaded; wherein the fixing pole of the fan mount extendsthrough the connecting hole of the fan, the shaft of the fastenerextends through the fixing hole of the fan mount into the fixing poleand causes deformation of the elastic arms, thereby enlarging the outerdiameter of the fixing pole at the free ends of the elastic arm and thusfixing the fan on the fan mount.
 2. The fan module of claim 1, whereinwhen the elastic arms are unloaded, the inner diameter of the fixingpole at the free ends of the elastic arms is less than that at otherportions of the fixing pole, and the inner diameter of the fixing poleat the other portions is not less than the diameter of the shaft.
 3. Thefan module of claim 2, wherein the outer diameter of the fixing pole issubstantially constant, and each of the elastic arms has a thickness atthe free end larger than that at other portions of the elastic arm. 4.The fan module of claim 2, wherein the elastic arms are equally spacedfrom each other along a circumference direction of the fixing hole. 5.The fan module of claim 1, wherein the fan mount further defines aplurality of arc-shaped locating slots surrounding and located adjacentto the fixing hole, the fastener further comprises a plurality oflimiting posts surrounding and located adjacent to the shaft, and thelimiting posts are respectively engaged in the locating slots.
 6. Thefan module of claim 5, wherein each of the locating slots comprises afirst locating hole, and a second locating hole narrower than the firstlocating hole, and each of the limiting posts comprises a head smallerthan the first locating hole and larger than the second locating hole.7. The fan module of claim 6, wherein each of the locating slots furthercomprises a guiding groove intercommunicating the first locating holeand the second locating hole.
 8. The fan module of claim 7, wherein theguiding groove has a width decreasing from the first locating hole tothe second locating hole.
 9. The fan module of claim 7, wherein each ofthe limiting posts is moveable in a corresponding locating slot betweenthe first locating hole and the second locating hole along the guidinggroove.
 10. The fan module of claim 9, wherein the fastener furthercomprises a handle extending outwardly from one side of the base bodywhich is opposite to the shaft, the fastener being rotatable byoperating the handle.
 11. The fan module of claim 6, wherein the fanmount further defines a recess around the fixing hole receiving theheads of the limiting posts, the locating slots are defined in the fanmount above the recess, and a thickness of the head of the fastener isnot larger than a depth of the recess.
 12. The fan module of claim 6,wherein the locating slots are arranged along an imaginary circle, whichis concentric with the fixing hole.
 13. The fan module of claim 1,wherein the fan mount is a fan cover comprising a board and a fixingframe connected to the board, the fixing frame defining a receivingchamber receiving the fan therein.
 14. The fan module of claim 13,wherein the fan comprises a housing and an impeller with a plurality ofblades received in the housing, the housing comprising a top platedefining an air inlet and a bottom plate defining an air outlet, theconnecting hole defined in the top plate, the fixing frame comprising aplurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the board and aconnecting wall extending inwardly from a corner of the fixing framewhere two of the sidewalls meet, the plurality of sidewalls and theconnecting wall cooperatively defining the receiving chamber, and thefixing hole being defined in the connecting wall.
 15. A fan module,comprising: a fan comprising a housing and an impeller rotatablyreceived in the housing, the housing defining a connecting hole therein;a fixing frame comprising a plurality of sidewalls defining a chamberreceiving the housing therein and a connecting wall extending inwardlyfrom the sidewalls, the connecting wall defining a fixing hole alignedwith the connecting hole, a hollow elastic pole extending into thechamber from the connecting wall at a periphery of the fixing hole ofthe fan mount, an outer diameter of the fixing pole being not largerthan a diameter of the connecting hole when the fixing hole is unloaded;and a fastener comprising a shaft, wherein the fixing pole of the fanmount extends through the connecting hole of the fan, the shaft of thefastener extends through the fixing hole of the fan mount into thefixing pole and causes deformation of the fixing pole, thereby enlargingthe outer diameter of a portion of the fixing pole beyond the connectinghole and thus fixing the fan on the fan mount.
 16. The fan module ofclaim 15, wherein the elastic pole comprises a connecting end connectedto the connecting wall and a plurality of elastic arms extendingoutwardly from the connecting end, an outer end of each elastic arm awayfrom the connecting end having a thickness larger than that of otherportion of the elastic arm.
 17. The fan module of claim 15, wherein theconnecting wall defines a plurality of locating slots surrounding andadjacent to the fixing pole, each of the locating slots comprising afirst locating hole, a second locating hole and a guiding grooveintercommunicating the first locating hole and the second locating hole,the second locating hole being narrower than the first locating hole,the fastener further comprising a plurality of limiting postscorrespondingly engaged in the locating slots, respectively, each of thelimiting posts comprising a head smaller than the first locating holeand larger than the second locating hole.
 18. A fan mount for mounting afan which has a connecting hole, the fan mount comprising: a framecomprising a sidewall defining a chamber for receiving the fan and aconnecting wall extending inwards from the sidewall towards the chamber,a hollow elastic pole extending out from the connecting wall into thechamber, the elastic pole being adapted for inserting in the connectinghole of the fan, a through hole extending through the elastic hole and acorresponding part of the connecting wall; and a fastener comprising ashaft for engaging in the through hole; wherein when the fastener isinserted in the through hole, the fixing pole deforms to make an outerend thereof away from the connecting wall enlarge, thereby fixing thefastener on the frame.
 19. The fan mount of claim 18, wherein theelastic pole comprises a plurality of elastic arms arranged on animaginary circle which is concentric with the through hole, each of theelastic arms has a thickness at the outer end of the fixing pole largerthan that of other portions of the elastic arms.
 20. The fan mount ofclaim 18, wherein the connecting wall further defines a locating slotadjacent to the elastic pole, the locating slot comprising a firstlocating hole and a second locating hole communicating with the firstlocating hole, the second locating hole being narrower than the firstlocating hole, the fastener further comprising a limiting post adjacentto the shaft, the limiting post comprising a head smaller than the firstlocating hole and larger than the second locating hole.